Treatment of anti-depression drug-induced sexual dysfunction with apomorphine

Abstract

A method for treating sexual dysfunction in a patient taking anti-depressant medication in need of such treatment comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to said patient is disclosed. The method may be utilized for patients taking anti-depressants such as tricyclic anti-depressants, monamine oxidase inhibitors or serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of treating sexual dysfunction in a patient taking anti-depressant medication in need of such treatment comprising 
 administering a therapeutically effective amount of apomorphine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to said patient.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said anti-depressant medication is a tricyclic anti-depressant, a monamine oxidase inhibitor or a serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said patient is male and said therapeutically effective amount is an amount sufficient to induce an erection adequate for vaginal penetration.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said patient is female and said therapeutically effective amount is an amount sufficient to induce clitoral erectogenesis and vaginal engorgement.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said therapeutically effective amount is an amount wherein a concentration of apomorphine is attained within said patient's plasma of up to 10 nanograms per milliliter.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said apomorphine is administered intranasally, orally ingested, sublingually or administered by inhalation to the lungs.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said apomorphine is administered as the hydrochloride salt.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said apomorphine is co-administered with an emesis-inhibiting amount of an anti-emetic agent.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said anti-emetic agent is selected from the group consisting of nicotine, lobeline sulfate, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, pipamazine, thiethylperazine, oxypendyl hydrochloride, domperidone, ondansetron, buclizine hydrochloride, cyclizine hydrochloride, dimenhydrinate, scopolamine, metopimazine, trimethobenzamide, benzauinamine hydrochloride and diphenidol hydrochloride.